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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22624252">Reunion Gone Bad (Don't Drink That Remix)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverever/pseuds/Neverever'>Neverever</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Attempted Kidnapping, M/M, Rescue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:42:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22624252</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverever/pseuds/Neverever</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is surprised to see Steve at the fundraiser, and he sure is surprised with how the rest of the evening goes too.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>252</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>2020 Captain America/Iron Man Relay Remix</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Reunion Gone Bad (Don't Drink That Remix)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingheads/gifts">wingheads</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22377481">safe in your arms [REMIX]</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingheads/pseuds/wingheads">wingheads</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the 2020 Cap-IM Relay Remix (art/fic chain)</p><p>Thanks to my beta, the wonderful arms_plutonic!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nice to be just a guest for once, and not the host of a charity event, Tony thought. All smiles and nods to partygoers and not a lick of work. He could get used to this.</p><p>He snagged a soda and a crab puff from a passing waiter. “Could you get me one of those spiked seltzers? Lime?” The waiter nodded.</p><p>Clint and Sam had joined forces to help a small and growing charity aimed at supporting extra-curricular activities in public schools. Not quite the team-up that Tony would have expected. But Clint and Sam were enthusiastic and committed.</p><p>Tony had already sent in his check. Pocket change compared to the scholarship charity last week. </p><p>Wouldn’t it be better if Steve were there? Steve had just returned from a ten-day mission with SHIELD that morning. One of those “Be Nice to Fury” missions they had every now and then. Steve had looked like death warmed over when he came back with only the briefest of nods for everyone and a smile for Tony before he disappeared into his suite.</p><p>No gala for Steve.</p><p>Not that Steve being AWOL should bother Tony. Not at all. Except that Steve had a way of making these things fun. A sly joke here and a meaningful look there and, suddenly, Tony had an ally in a swirling sea of people. Steve would be enjoying this.</p><p>Tony sighed. He missed his boyfriend. Just thinking of Steve as his boyfriend made his heart leap. No one but JARVIS knew what had been going on between them for the past few months. </p><p>Then Tony blinked a couple of times. There was Steve, dressed to the nines in a a dark blue, slim-fitting suit, strutting like a supermodel through the crowd.</p><p>He wanted to climb Steve like a TREE.</p><p>To be honest, Steve didn’t actually strut. He wasn’t constitutionally capable of that. But he did look like a supermodel. For once, Steve had followed someone’s advice to not wear a tie. So his collar was open at the neck, which made Tony a touch weak at the knees. Because Steve had made an effort to look great and show up when he had to be exhausted and he was heading right towards Tony.</p><p>“You didn’t have to come,” Tony said.</p><p>“Didn’t want to stand up my best guy,” Steve replied. “It’s been too long.”</p><p>“You didn’t miss much. No one blew anything up.”</p><p>The rest of the team was circulating through the crowd. Bruce had decided to attend as Bruce Banner, not Hulk, and he and Natasha were doing some sort of drone demonstration in the corner. Scott, cleaned up and in a mostly fitting suit, was doing a good job at the displays explaining the funding plans to interested donors. Thor was off somewhere, likely angling for more food. Crab puffs and spinach triangles weren’t going to hold him for long.</p><p>“Think Sam and Clint will raise any money?” Steve asked.</p><p>“A lot -- they’re definitely hitting all the targets tonight.” Tony nodded towards Sam and Clint with some of the charity staff off to the side. “Good project, reasonable goals, lot of excellent press, bang-up job.”</p><p>The waiter returned with Tony’s drink. “Here, you look like you could use a drink,” Tony said as he handed Steve the glass.</p><p>Steve sipped it and made a face. “I’m not sure I’m a fan of spiked seltzers.” He drank some more.</p><p>“You can join Thor in that. He’s not a fan of the beer here.”</p><p>Steve grinned. “He doesn’t like seltzer either.” He leaned in close to Tony. “What are your plans after this?”</p><p>Tony felt a curl on interest in his stomach at Steve’s warm breath on his skin. “Hmmm, I’m open to suggestions.”</p><p>“Hold that thought.” Steve coughed a times and shook his head. “I, um, have to see a man about a horse.” </p><p>“I’ll be working the crowd when you get back.”</p><p>Steve flashed him a smile and put his now empty glass down on a table. Tony headed off to mingle and encourage donations. He’d gotten caught up in a conversation with former recipients of the Maria Stark Foundation grants and didn’t notice the time until Natasha sidled up to him.</p><p>“I have to borrow Tony, it’s about the drone,” she said charmingly, drawing Tony aside.</p><p>“What’s wrong with the drone?” Tony asked as they stood over the drone laying on the floor.</p><p>“There’s something fishy with a couple of the guests,” Natasha replied. She was making a show of turning over the drone while Clint fiddled with the remote.</p><p>Clint added, “They’ve been watching you since the start of the event. I’m betting it’s something to do with Hammer.”</p><p>Natasha said, “My money is on AIM. They’re on SHIELD’s radar right now.” </p><p>“What does Steve think?”</p><p>“Steve showed up?” Clint asked. “We left him back at the tower.”</p><p>“Yeah. He was here and --” Tony scanned the crowd. All of the team was there except for Steve. “He went to the bathroom a while ago but --” He bit his lip as he looked for Steve. He’d stand out in this crowd.</p><p>“Notice anything unusual?” </p><p>Tony racked his brain. “I ordered a couple of spiked seltzers for us -- we talked --” He thought hard about Steve, the people around them, Steve’s face when he drank the seltzer. “He was a little pale?”</p><p>Natasha and Clint exchanged a worried look. “Check the bathrooms, Tony -- Clint and I will touch base with the team.”</p><p>“Okay, yeah,” Tony said. </p><p>Now that the agents had been pointed out to him, Tony couldn’t unsee them. He felt their eyes on him as he headed to the closest bathrooms. </p><p>He was worried about Steve. If only he had been paying attention -- Steve never took all that long in the bathroom. Unless it was for other reasons -- but he’d need Steve for that activity.</p><p>Steve had to be okay.</p><p>None of them needed this right now. Especially Steve, who deserved a break from fighting and missions. What Steve needed and deserved and had earned was a night of bad movies, cuddles from his boyfriend and a night’s sleep in the most comfortable bed in New York.</p><p>Tony sensed he was being followed to the bathroom. A quick touch to the identicard to alert the team was the best he could do. Bathrooms were great ambush locations.</p><p>But Steve. What if something terrible had happened to Steve?</p><p>He saw nothing in the bathroom except the row of stalls. Taking a chance, Tony locked the door and wedged it shut with a doorstop and a wet floor sign. “Steve?” he asked, but no answer. He checked the first two stalls, no sign of Steve.</p><p>Someone jiggled the door handle. Another stall, no Steve. This might not be the bathroom Steve used. The person outside kicked the door. </p><p>Tony had a fleeting hope that the person was either an enthusiastic fan or desperate to use the men’s room. </p><p>“Steve baby? Are you there?” he asked, opening another stall door.</p><p>The door shuddered as the person attacked it again.</p><p>Tony went to the final stall, knowing that the door could withstand a lot more pressure, but not the wedge. He pushed the door partly open and could see Steve through the crack.</p><p>Steve had collapsed against the wall and was partly leaning on the toilet bowl. His body covered the small floor of the stall.</p><p>This was the worst possible scenario -- if the person assaulting the door broke in, Tony and Steve were far too vulnerable. </p><p>He toed Steve, who didn’t even react, only slumped further down on the floor. No, this was the worst. Tony nudged Steve with his foot again, maneuvering him away from the stall door so Tony could enter.</p><p>“Come on, Steve, wake up,” he urged, rubbing Steve’s shoulder. </p><p>No response.</p><p>He ran a hand through Steve’s hair, brushing it off his face. “Baby, come on, we’re in danger.”</p><p>Loud noises came from the bathroom door. Helpless, heart beating fast, he shook Steve. “We’ve got to move.”</p><p>There was no way Tony was going to be able to move Steve without hurting either Steve or himself. He had to figure out how to save them both without the Iron Man armor and Steve unconscious.</p><p>Not how he’d planned for the night to go. At all.</p><p>He’d have to leave Steve here in the stall and make his stand at the sinks. He had a a half-formed plan already.</p><p>He heard shouting and pounding. The door rattled.</p><p>He’d give his entire fortune for an Iron Man armor right now, any Mark version. He wasn’t going to be picky.</p><p>Protecting Steve was his entire reason for living.</p><p>Tony took a deep breath. He got up and ran to the sinks. He might be able to redirect the faucets --</p><p>Hulk smashed through door, sending yellow-clad AIM agents in all directions. Clint and Thor appeared in the wreckage on clean-up duty.</p><p>“Great. You’re here,” Clint said.</p><p>“What is going on,” Tony gritted out.</p><p>“AIM kidnapping attempt. Natasha’s interrogating agents right now.”</p><p>Tony’s blood ran cold. What AIM would to do to Steve was the stuff of nightmares. The torture, the medical experiments. “They wanted Steve.”</p><p>He turned to see Steve staggering out of the stall. “Steve, stop, wait.” He rushed over to catch Steve before he collapsed on the floor.</p><p>“Tony, I don’t feel well,” Steve whispered as he fell against Tony.</p><p>Tony rubbed his hand up and down Steve’s back as best he could while propping up Steve’s weight. “You’re going to be a-okay, Steve. You’re safe now.”</p><p>“Not the night we had planned,” Steve replied, his voice weak and wavering. “Back at the tower -- your room --”</p><p>“We’re not alone, Steve,” Tony warned. </p><p>“Oh, please, we know already,” Clint said. “You haven’t been as sneaky as you think, you and Steve.” He tapped his comm link. “Natasha, we need medical help ASAP.” </p><p>Hulk and Thor left to look for more AIM agents. Clint helped Tony lower Steve to the ground. Tony sat down on the cold tile, Steve’s head in his lap, and gently caressed Steve’s shoulder. Steve had fallen unconscious again. “That’s a strong drug AIM used. How did they get to him?”</p><p>Clint said. “AIM didn’t want Steve. They wanted you. The drug was in your drink.”</p><p>“Steve drank the seltzer instead of me.” Tony felt the blood drain from his face. “If Steve has it this bad --”</p><p>“Ah, don’t think about too much. They probably wanted you alive,” Clint said. </p><p>Steve had saved his life again, even if he didn’t know it at the time. Tony vowed to make it up to him. “I swear --”</p><p>“Shhhh. Natahsa has updates.” Clint listened to his comm. “Natasha says the ambulance on the way.”</p><p>“Damn it, this had to happen the first time I got to see him in days.”</p><p>“Assemble, fight, hospital. Yeah, well, life as an Avenger, and all that.”</p><p>Tony said to Steve. “I am going to buy you the best gifts, all you ever wanted, that motorcycle you saw last week, weekend in Paris, the whole nine yards. I’m going to spoil you.”</p><p>Clint’s face scrunched up. “Is this how it’s going to be from now on?”</p><p>Tony bent over and placed a kiss on Steve’s clammy forehead. “All the time,” Tony said. “Get used to it.”</p>
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